Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and Happy New year. I know you have been suffering through these low temperatures, but hope for you… warmer temps to come.

Since lobby day access to the Capitol will be limited, (due to construction) I know some will make the trip to represent ABATE of VA, and meet with their representatives . And because of this, ABATE will host our January BOD meeting the last Sunday of this month January 28th, 2018, 11am at Big Licks Tropical bar and Grill, Lynchburg, Virginia. We will be discussing future legislative plans, growth plans, and we are still looking for a chapter to host this year’s state rally. Please pass this information on to those I might not have E-mail addresses .Hope to see everyone there .

For those of you who do not know me yet, my name is Dave Sutton, aka “The Professor.” At the September Board of Director’s meeting, I was elected as State Operations Director. My term officially began on October 1 of this year. You will get to learn more about me in the new “Know Your ABATE” feature elsewhere in this newsletter.

I would like to start by thanking John Bilotta for the years he served in this position. It is hard enough to wear one hat in the Motorcyclists’ Rights movement. He has been wearing several. He is also graciously helping me get this first newsletter out, while we work out the logistics of getting me the publisher software I will need, lining up a printer, getting contact information for advertisers, etc.

Two of my primary responsibilities are this newsletter and the state website. I am happy to report that state treasurer Joe Wagner has been working with a professional website service to build a website that will be updated easily and maintained professionally. This will make it easier to get up-to-date information out to you, make it easier to pay memberships, and, hopefully, order state products.

This is where you come into play. Please send me updated contact information for your Chapter Directors and PR person.

These are YOUR publications, so please send me informationed pictures to reflect your hard work and good times, along with upcoming events in your area. My ABATE dedicated e-mail address is LCHistoryTeacher@outlook.com

Please remember, Freewheeling and our website are often the first impression people get of ABATE, so keep articles and editorials professional, free from profanity, bashing individuals or other organizations, or drifting into non-motorcycling related issues.

Thank you for your efforts on behalf of motorcyclists’ rights and your confidence in me.

We hope you like the new look and feel and can find the information you need.

Hello World, this is Wags. I’m just playing around with our new web design, and trying to figure out how to update the NEWS section. We hope to get our Ops Mgr. (Dave Sutton), and possibly Stan and John up to speed on how we might manage minor changes to the site on our own.

I’m happy to report, the problem with the membership application has been resolved. We now receive the form along with the payment… and the form is much neater and easier (I think).

Have a great holiday season, keep the shiny side up, and don’t forget gas treatment, battery tenders, etc., if you put the bike up this winter.

Wags

NATIONAL COALITION OF MOTORCYCLISTS

NCOM – Motorcycling activists from across America come together at the 2018 NCOM Convention –

VIRGINIA CITIZEN’S DEFENSE LEAGUE

The Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL) was founded in October 1994 as the Northern Virginia Citizens Defense League (NVCDL). The group experienced enormous growth in membership statewide and was incorporated as VCDL in May of 1998.

VCDL is a non-profit, non-partisan, grassroots organization dedicated to advancing the fundamental human right of all Virginians to keep and bear arms as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article I Section 13 of the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Virginia.